Achillas

Achillas (Greek polytonic|Αχιλλας) was one of the guardians of the Egyptian king Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, and commander of the troops, when Pompey fled to Egypt in 48 BC. He is called by Julius Caesar a man of extraordinary daring, and it was he and Lucius Septimius who killed Pompey at the suggestion of Theodotus of Chios. [Julius Caesar, "Commentarii de Bello Civili" iii. 104] [Livy, "Epit." 104] [Cassius Dio xlii. 4]

He subsequently joined the eunuch Pothinus in re­sisting Caesar, and having had the command of the whole army entrusted to him by Pothinus, he marched against Alexandria with 20,000 foot and 2000 horse. [Citation
last = Smith
first = William
author-link = William Smith (lexicographer)
contribution = Achillas
editor-last = Smith
editor-first = William
title = Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
volume = 1
pages = 9
publisher =
place = Boston, MA
year = 1867
contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0018.html ] Caesar, who was at Alexandria, had not sufficient forces to oppose him, and sent am­bassadors to treat with him, but these Achillas murdered to remove all hopes of reconciliation. He then marched into Alexandria and obtained possession of the greatest part of the city. Mean­while, however, Arsinoe, the younger sister of Ptolemy, escaped from Caesar and joined Achillas; but dissensions breaking out between them, she had Achillas put to death by Ganymedes, a eunuch, in 47 BC, to whom she then entrusted the command of the forces. [Julius Caesar, "Commentarii de Bello Civili" iii. 108—112] ["B. Alex." 4] [Cassius Dio xlii. 36—40] [Lucan x. 519— 523]

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